


Lost in Mirkwood

by MaLady335



Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Animal Death, F/M, Living in the wild, Lost - Freeform, Missing, Songs, Survival, Violins, Wilderness Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-08-07 09:28:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7709833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaLady335/pseuds/MaLady335
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Waking up lost in a forest, she just needs to find a way to survive until she can find help.</p><p>Only help comes to her in a surprising package.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Morning

A feeling of warmth consumed me. I could feel it bating at my face. Opening my eyes I could see the sunlight peeking through the tree's leaves above me. The sight made me smile till I realized I was sweating as I tried to remember how I got here. As I sat up, several leaves fell out of my hair. My body feels stiff like I hadn't moved in ages. 

Looking down at myself I was confused as to why I was wearing a wool coat on such a warm summer day. Attempting to take it of I realized I was holding my violin case. My confusion grew as I peeled of the coat to reveal jeans, a turtleneck sweater and thick waterproof boots. Panic began flooding me as I tried to remember how I got here or even where I was. 

Squeezing my head in an attempt to make myself remember. A woman's laughing face crossed my mind, she was older than me and the image did nothing to alleviate my confusion. Growing angry at my inability to remember I quickly stood up and began storming off in a random direction. 

Quickly finding a large rock I slump down on it frustrated as I start picking up and throwing any rocks or sticks that I can get my hands on. Not sure how long I sat there fuming I began to calm down and returned to grab my stuff not too far away.

Looking under my turtleneck I could see that I was wearing a thin tank top underneath. Grateful to take of the thick sweater I gathered up my stuff and began observing my surroundings. I was obviously in some kind of forest, conifer and pines were everywhere. I couldn't identify what kind of trees they were but I couldn't see any sign of a path that would lead me to a road. Or if I was in a nature preserve the center where you check in. 

There was a huge cliff that was behind me it was at least four if not five stories. It seemed to be part of a mountain range that loomed above me. I don't remember anything about mountains. Snow drifted through my mind. There is no way it could have gone from snowing to summer that quickly. 

Turning so my back was to the cliff I began walking hoping I would run into a trail or a road. The trees passed me by as I avoided the occasional spider web as I began observing the forest. People always seem to forget just how many bugs there are in the forest. If anyone was to take a good look at the ground they would find several bugs crawling around going about their buggy business.

My legs began to grow tired as the sun started to sink into the horizon. Not wanting to wander at night I turned around and headed towards the cliff. Reaching the base of the cliff I began walking next to it hoping to find some form of shelter.

By the time night blanketed the forest in darkness I was able to find a dip in the side of the cliff. It was nowhere near a cave but it sloped into the cliff enough to give some protection. I could stand in it if I craned my neck and it could fit a small car if you crushed it.

Sitting underneath it I wondered how long it would take someone to find me. Wolves were howling as I smashed myself deeper into the jagged rock of the cliff. I laid out my coat in an attempt to make a bed. As I laid down on it something in one of the pockets was poking me in the ribs. 

Pulling the offending instrument out I realized it was a Swiss army knife. It was difficult to see in the dark but there was a clear engraving that said 'To Ali from Grandpa' in a pretty swirling script. An image of an elderly man with spectacles and sparse gray hair came to mind as I read it. Flipping it open I observed all the little tools attached. Laying back down I wondered about my grandpa, where was he? I don't think he was with me.

I don't know when I feel asleep but I woke up to the morning sunlight blinding me. Groaning I wanted to roll over and go back to sleep but I knew I shouldn't. So I forced myself to get up. Once standing I tried to stretch my back that was sore from the hard ground and all I wanted was a bathroom to clean up in. 

It looked to be a little after sunrise and was a little cooler then yesterday as I gathered all of my things. I made sure to shake my coat out to get rid of anything that may have crawled in it while I slept. I did the same thing with my sweater that I used as a pillow. Getting out of my alcove I decided to try a different direction and turned to my left to begin walking. The birds were singing softly as I began trudging through the forest. 

There really wasn't a slope but the farther I got the thicker the grass got as the trees started to thin out. A light sound of water hit my ears as I found a good sized stream flowing as thirst hit me. Kneeling next to the water I used my hands as a bowl and began to drink not even sure when I last had something to drink. It tasted earthy but I was too thirsty to care. 

Quenching my thirst I stood back up and brushed the dirt off my pants. I wondered whether I should continue in this direction or follow the stream down the slope. If the stream leads to larger water I'll have a better chance at finding someone since lakes and rivers tend to attract people.

Deciding to head down stream I turn and follow it. Listening to the calming sound of the water while the birds began to sing louder and more often as the sun went higher into the sky. Watching the trees pass by was soothing until my stomach growled. I rubbed it as if that would somehow comfort it as I wondered when I last ate. It has at least been well over a day since I ate last and I wont last long if I'm not able to find people or food. 

The stream started to grow wider as the trees started to move farther away. I could just make out an open area ahead before I reached the river. When I reached the river the stream had spread out more and had a little pool it went into that was attached to the river. Looking around the river I couldn't see any sign of human life but that didn't deter me. Heading down stream would hopefully lead me to a human settlement. So I began walking near the edge of the river but being careful to stay away from lose soil so I don't fall in. 

The river seemed so calm as I walked along it hoping for some sign of civilization. My body began to grow more and more tired as the sun slowly moved across the sky. With how tired I was I wondered whether or not I should turn back or keep going. Even with how tired I am I need to find someone I'll walk all night if I have too. Adjusting my violin I continued on my path down the river.

As darkness fell I began to feel less confident with every passing second. A chill filled the air as a crescent moon arose and the stars shone brightly. Slipping on my sweater and coat so I don't have to carry it anymore and also to keep out the strange chill. It was easy to tune out the sounds of the animals and moving trees till I was suddenly filled with a sense of unease as I noticed that the animal noises stopped. A sense of dread filled me as I scrambled onto the nearest tree I could climb.

Climbing as high as the branches would allow I looked down wondering why I came up here feeling a little foolish at my own skittishness as I saw movement bellow. It moved quickly and was entirely black and seemed utterly unnatural as it moved without a sound. There was a thick silence as it moved bellow me the fear that it would discover me was causing me to grip the branches of the trees tightly unsure of what it was. 

Watching it the moons light began to break through the trees giving small hints to the thin furry legs and strange body that seemed to be close to the size of a pony. Keeping as quite as possible I continued to sit in the tree well after it had moved on and the forest began to speak once again. Exhaustion lowered my guard as I reluctantly feel asleep.

The sound of bird song woke me up as my body screamed in anger at me for sleeping in a tree. Feeling absolutely terrible I cracked my eyes open to see the sun rising and annoyed birds flying about. Groaning in pain I made my way down the tree forcing my stiff legs and arms to work as I landed on the ground none to gracefully.

Standing up I scanned the area and noticed there was no sign of the creature that had prowled the area the night before. Recalling the creepy thing I looked for foot prints but couldn't find anything. Hunger stabbed at me hard, along with my dry mouth as I turned around and walked up river where I knew the stream would be. 

I still hadn't found a single sign of human life and with what I saw last night I wondered if there was any where ever I was. Reaching the stream at noon I kneeled to take a drink from the still water of the pool between the stream and the river when I noticed movement. Watching closely I could see a fin poke out as a fish moved through the water.

The idea of eating fish filled me with determination as I watched its movements as I went to stand between the pool and the river. Watching it I lowered my hands and followed its movements till I got the courage to reach in. Feeling me grasp it the fish thrashed violently with all its muscles trying to escape. Its fins scratched my hands painfully as I through it onto the ground. The fish flopped about trying to get back into the water. 

Not allowing it to escape I stood on its tail as I grabbed a near by stick and cleaned it off as best I could in the murky water. Content at how clean the stick was I took a pause as I tried to think of how to do this and kill it quickly so it wouldn't suffer. Deciding on the quickest route I shoved the stick violently through its mouth and into its body as it stopped its struggling as it died. Now with the fish on a stick I realized I needed to cook it. 

Holding the fish in one hand I began gathering small dry sticks. Walking up stream I found what I recognized as the area I came out of yesterday and walked back into the forest till I found my little alcove from earlier. Setting the sticks down I grabbed some leaves and made a pile under my alcove as I stuck the fish on a stick into the ground as I searched for flint. 

I pulled out my Swiss army knife and began scraping the metal of the can opener against different rocks looking for sparks. It took me well over an hour before I found a round smooth rock that gave off a slight spark as I scraped the metal against the stone.

Squealing in excitement I returned to my soon to be campfire and scrapped the metal against the rock as close to the leaves as possible. I'm not sure how long it took till I finally got enough sparks to set the leaves on fire but my hands were sore and it started to get dark.

The leaves burned a dark smoke as I scrambled to find more sticks grabbing an arm full of small sticks and another armful of thick sticks that were closer to logs I set them down in the corner of my alcove as I pulled the fish out of the ground and reset it in the dirt next to the fire. The earth was soft enough that it made getting the fish close to the fire easy. 

Sitting down as the sun lowered I watched the smoke crawl out of my alcove into the sky as I wondered about what I saw last night and whether I would be safe here or not. Feeling uneasy I left my alcove and went to the scattered logs of a recently dead tree that wasn't more than twenty feet from my alcove and began carrying or pushing them to make a makeshift wall between me and the outside world.

Scooting inside I pulled the last log into place as the moon started to peek over the trees. Filled with a sense of accomplishment I sat down next to my fire as the fish cooked. The fish looked delicious as the grease fell into the fire I realized I should have descaled the fish and gutted it first but I was too tired and hungry to care.

Sitting down listening to the fire crackle I pulled out my violin and plucked at the strings before testing it out. Without realizing it I began playing some songs I remembered singing with my family. Some of the songs I remembered didn't have lyrics but they were harder to remember than the simple ones I sang with my family and friends.

But hunger stopped my playing as the fish became nice and crispy. Pulling the stick out of the ground I peeled off a chunk of the hot skin to reveal the steaming cooked meat bellow. Hot I took off my coat and sweater as I began to eat. Not sure when I ate last this tasted wonderful. Grease rolled onto my hands and down my chin as I ate ravenously glad to eat something. Finished with the outer meat I observed the cooked organs bellow and wondered whether or not I should eat them. 

I don't know when I'll eat next but fish organs didn't sound appetizing. Deciding to set the fish aside I put a few more sticks on the fire along with one of the logs allowing it to grow and spark as the smoke left my little den through the cracks in the logs. I set down my coat and rolled up my sweater for a pillow and fell asleep rather quickly with the sound of the cheerful fire crackling.

When I opened my eyes I saw that my fire was almost completely burned out. Poking it with a stick flared up the embers as I grabbed some scattered leaves and sticks. Once I had the fire back up I pushed one of the logs out making a small entrance. Crawling out of my alcove I remembered the fish guts. Going back inside to grab the fish on a stick and my things I left my den to the morning light. 

The sky was bathed in orange and yellow as the trees blocked the sunrise from me. I put on my coat but carried my sweater as I put my violin on my back as I headed towards the stream. The walk was uneventful as the early bird songs chirped away unbothered by me. As I reached the stream I continued down till I reached the pool. 

There wasn't any fish in it but I hoped to fix that as I put the fish guts in the small pool hoping it would attract more fish. I also put a little more dirt at the entrance to the river so it would be harder to get out but it still allowed close to a foot on water in I just made it narrower so it would give them less room. Finished with preparing the pool I decided to try upstream today. 

The river was just as calm as normal not at all worried about my plight. Since I had eaten last night I didn't feel nearly as tired or hopeless. There wasn't quite a spring in my step but I was much more cheerful. Watching the river as I walked next to it I began humming a song that sprang into my mind. Reaching behind me to touch my violin foggy memories of learning to play as a small child came filtering back.

The day continued to wear on as I walked not seeing a single sign of anyone having ever been here. The mountains were growing closer as the river turned towards their direction making me wonder if the river stared at the base of the mountains. When the sun grew much closer to the western trees I decided to call it a day. Feeling defeated I wished I had something to help me like a map so I could try and guess where I was.

Reaching the pool the fish guts where gone and a larger fish had taken its place. It was trying to squeeze through the hole as I noticed it. Not wanting it to get away I quickly grabbed it and threw it on land. The fish was much larger than the last one. There was no way I could just carry it on a stick. I attempted to carry it alive back to my den but it kept thrashing out of my arms. 

Knowing it could fall into the stream and escape if I wasn't careful I decided it would be much easier to carry when dead. Finding a decent sized rock I smashed in its skull to kill it as quickly as possible. There is no reason for it to suffer. Heading back I reached home rather quickly now recognizing the way with ease. I sat the fish down on a large slab of rock as I went in and stocked the fire.

I needed something to keep the fish out of the fire while it cooked. Searching for anything I grabbed some more sticks and small logs for the fire bringing them and another pile of leaves inside. I was able to find some almost flat stones. Not really sure what else to use I tried to set up the stones to they stayed firm over the fire. 

However they didn't like this idea and weren't nearly stable enough. Going back outside I searched for as many rocks as possible. Finding and bringing in a lot of rocks I began to line the fire with it and set then as support for the table rocks. Finally feeling that it was secure enough I brought in the fish and laid it out on the slab. Satisfied that it didn't flop over I sat down and watched the fire noticing that the sun was setting.

I went out to drag the log back into place. The fish began to turn color as it cooked with a little grease pooling on the stone slab. Waiting for the fish to finish cooking I pulled out my violin and played a little. Not playing really extensively just little tunes that get caught in my head. I checked the fish by poking it with a stick to see if it crinkle.

Unsure of how long it took to cook I was definitely happy when it was I pulled the hot slab off the other stones and set it on the dirt floor waiting for it too cool. Once it was cool enough to touch I pulled back the skin and began picking the meat off the bones with my fingers. This fish tasted different not nearly as good but had a lot of meat on it.

By the time I finished half of it I was full. Glad for something to eat in the morning I set the fish near the fire to keep away the bugs as I put more sticks and a log into the fire to keep it going all night. I set down my coat and sweater as I rolled over wondering how I will be able to keep this up. Fish aren't just going to wander into that shallow pool everyday I need a more reliable source of food. 

Thoughts of how people have hunted in the past crossed my mind and the most useful weapon I could think of was a bow and arrow. But I have no idea how I would even start to make a bow I could probably make arrows easily enough. I would probably just end up making sharpened wood but that'd better than nothing. 

Thinking about all the animals that roam about in the forest the easiest one to go after would probably be rabbits but their hard to catch with how fast they are. Maybe I could make a spear and get them that way. But I can't just abandon my search for people. I can't find anyone in walking distance and the forest is too thick for helicopters to see anything.

The idea of having a giant bond fire seemed like a good way to get someones attention but I would need to constantly get wood for it and I don't have an axe to start chopping down trees. Not only that but what if the fire attracts unwanted attention like the creature I saw the other night. 

All in all it would be best to store a lot of wood and set a fire if I hear any sign of a search helicopter. I feel asleep with vague memories of my family floating around my head.


	2. Hunting

Feeling a little stiff as I woke up I felt better than the last couple of nights but not like when I slept in a bed. Bringing the fire back to life I pushed the log out of the way and started my search for good strong sticks I could use to make weapons. Picking up random sticks and bending them they all snapped easily making me think I needed something fresher. 

Putting all the sticks I grabbed in my den for firewood I began trying to break off easy to reach branches of several different trees. Ripping the branches off one tree caused acorns to fall on my head. Thinking I could use them as well I gathered up all the acorns I could find and brought them back to my den. I took several trips to get as much wood as possible. 

Growing thirsty with all the work I went to the stream and drank heavily not wanting to get back to work. While at the river I searched for more flint that I might use for the heads later on. Finding a handful I returned to my little alcove.

Once inside with my large pile of branches from different trees I began experimenting with them. I began trying to bend the branches to see how they would work as bows. The branches from the acorn tree were very stiff and hard it might make a good spear but not a bow, bows need to bend easily without breaking. 

However the branches I pulled off of the trees that had the almost flaky bark bended nicely. Having found a good set of branches I took a break and ate the last of the fish leaving the bones and guts to throw in the pool later. I went back outside and found the flaky tree again I stepped on what felt like a large acorn. 

Lifting my food I found a different kind of nut. It must belong to these kind of trees as found several more of them about. Grabbing as many as I could find I went back to my den. Now I had a good sized pile of nuts that I can eat on later if I need to. Going back to the branches I grabbed one of the stiffer ones and pulled out my Swiss army knife. 

First I ripped off the little twigs that were attempting to grow into branches before using the longer of the two knifes to begin sharpening one end of the stick. Pushing the thin blade that was about three inches long into the wood of the soon to be spear I had to whittle it down layer by layer. It was a little time consuming but I was able to get it down to a nice point that I then leaned it into the fire to harden its shape. Picking up another of the hard branches I did the same thing making sure to pull of the little twigs trying to grow.

By the time my hands had grown stiff from working the wood I had four spears leaned into my small fire hardening for future hunts. The thought that I was preparing for hunting disturbed ME a bit. My thoughts should be bent on my rescue but since I needed to eat I couldn't exactly walk in one direction for days straight. I need to eat and have a safe place to sleep especially since there are who knows what lurking in the forest at night. 

Satisfied with my spears I went outside to gather more firewood. I found several rotting and old logs and brought them in. Hoping they would burn longer so I didn't have to practically restart the fire every few hours. Now that I had a good pile of firewood set off in the corner away from the fire I removed my spears from the edge of the fire and set them on the dirt floor to cool I wondered how well they would do I would try to find a shallow section of the river to wade into the water and give spearing fish a try. 

The idea of getting rabbits seemed more difficult; I would need to be very close to them in order to spear them and I wasn't sure how well I would do at sneaking. I went out and searched for more flint by the time the sun started to set I had found three before calling it a day. Entering my hot den I stoked the fire with one of the rotting logs it gave of a strange smelling smoke but I hoped it would burn longer. Laying out my bed I looked over at my spears wondering how they would do. It took some time for me to fall asleep. I watched the fire as I grew sleepy glad that it kept the mosquitoes and other horrible things away from me as I slept.

When I awoke around dawn my fire hadn't completely burned out which made me happy. After putting some more wood on the fire I went to grab one of my spears and the fish guts and bones. They seem to have attracted some flies. y attempts at shooing them away failed. Picking them up I grabbed the slab of stone I used to cook with and took that with me as well. 

The birds were singing and there was a cool breeze blowing in this morning. Grateful for anything to cool down I headed to the stream. While I need the fire to cook and keep away insects it also makes the den quite hot I would move it outside if I didn't fear what it could attract out in the open. Reaching the water I set down my spear and guts and scrubbed the stone to the best of my abilities. I didn't have any soap to properly clean it but water would have to do. 

I also took several large drinks from the stream before heading down to the pool. There wasn't anything in it right now but I threw in the guts and bone and knew it would eventually attract something. Walking along the river I looked to see if there was any shallow parts. For the most part the river was rather high even though I hasn't seen any sign of rain. 

I did find one spot, it reminded me of a good place to set off a boat with how it slopes into the water. Rolling my pants up to my knees I went into the water till it was just bellow my rolled up jeans and waited. The river was dark and not very clear but the water was much cleaner than a lot of rivers I've seen. When I looked farther out I couldn't see bellow the water at all but here in the shallows I could just make out my feet.

Holding my spear next to my head to stab at whatever came close to me, I waited. My feet seemed to attract some attention as a good sized shape appeared. With my boots on I couldn't feel it touching my foot. I waited a few moments for it to relax and for it too feel right. Striking down with all my might I missed the fish scaring it into deeper waters. I missed three more before I realized I was probably doing something wrong.

The memory of being in a pool and being amused at how your legs and body look like they're in one place when in fact they are not where they appear made me want to try aiming a little farther into the fish than I was doing originally. When one got close I raised my spear aiming at the tail and plunged it into the water. Mud flew up as the fish thrashed violently on the spear. Pulling it up I caught it right in the center. 

Excited but horrified at the strength in the fish I went to the shore and crushed the catfishes head before heading back upstream. I grabbed my stone slab on the way taking a drink as well. Once I reached my den I went in to stoke the fire before laying out the freshly caught fish on the cleaned slab. Leaving my den I put the log back into place so nothing could wander in. 

Needing too use the bathroom I needed to find a good way of going while not being too gross. The only way I could think of was like an outhouse where its a hole in the ground but without the house around it since I didn't have access to the proper tools in order to make it. Walking a bit away from my den in the opposite direction from the stream I found a pretty clear patch near the base of the cliff that would work just fine. 

Digging my toilet I dug until I could just barely touch the dirt without making the hole wider in order to climb in. Happy with how deep it was I used the bathroom for the first time realizing I hadn't gone since I got here, odd. Not sure what to do since I didn't have anything to clean myself up with I decided to use the nearest dried leaf.

It wasn't as helpful as I wanted but it was better than nothing. Finished I went back to my den and checked on the fish, it still needed to cook so I decided to try and find some rabbits and see how that goes. Not really sure where to look I decided to head towards the stream.

When I reached it I continued in that direction making sure to make as little noise as possible while keeping my eyes and ears peeled for any movement. Walking quietly by avoiding to step on sticks or anything else I focused on the sight and sounds around me. 

Not clearly seeing anything but I could hear the birds moving about in the trees while the breeze blew through. With how slow I was going I wasn't really getting anywhere but I forced myself to keep the pace or I would spook anything in the area. A rustling sound came from a small bush growing near the base of the cliff. It is only a few feet ahead of me and maybe twelve feet across. Hoping to hear the sound again I crept closer to the brush when I was about two feet from it the bush moved as a rustling sound could be heard at its center. 

Holding up my spear I waited, whatever was in the bush didn't seem to notice me as I held my breath and waited. It rustled again slightly more to the right and I shot down with all my might right at the center of the movement.

A strange noise came forth as my spear was wrenched out of my hands as a large ball of fur flew out of the bush a few feet to my left. I was shocked to see my spear sticking out of the rear of a furious raccoon. Seeing me it growled hideously as it started to charge me. Utterly terrified I ran directly to the nearest reachable branch and began climbing. Unfortunately for me raccoons are very good climbers. However my spear impeded its climb, it seemed to be pretty deep since it didn't dislodge itself. Blood began running down the shaft as it made an attempt to retaliate. 

Its attempts at climbing failed as the weight and pain my spear caused it wouldn't allow it to even jump very far. Staying above it I watched as its temper seemed to calm down as it tried to remove the offending object. But with how deep and where it was it could just barely grab it and couldn't pull it out. Its energy seemed to run dry as he started limping around till he laid down as if not sure what else to do. Slowly coming down the tree he kept his eyes on me as I moved.

I wanted to retrieve my spear at the very least but I knew it wouldn't let my anywhere near it. With how weak he seemed it looked like he wasn't going to last for much longer and I hated to see him in such pain. Keeping my eyes on him I crept back to the stream and once he was out of sight I ran to my den and practically ripped the log out of my way as I grabbed another spear. Running back to the stream I slowed down and took a slow pace as I approached knowing he is angry and ready for another attack. 

Once I saw him he looked quite pathetic with my large spear forcing his leg to sit at a strange angle. Seeing me approach he growled as he bristled up ready for me. Wishing I would have checked to see what I was hitting first before striking. But knowing I couldn't just leave him to suffer I needed to finish what I started. 

Staying out of his striking distance which I guessed was about three feet I would need to lunge this one at him and hit him in something vital or he would be on me fast. Trying to aim the spear at his neck I focused on it, trying to see how it would work. 

His growls grew louder as I refused to budge not wanting him to attack me and just wanting this to end. I lunged the spear at him using all of my weight to back it up. Missing his neck I nailed him near the shoulder and I could feel the spear penetrate his ribs and hit the inner wall of the other side of his ribcage.

Momentarily stunned it seem the impact killed him almost instantly. His body was now limp as my spears jutted out of him unpleasantly. Not liking the sight of it one bit I pulled out both spears, the one I first put in came out easily enough but the second one was harder as the bones held it in. It took me three good tugs to get it out and each one had me lifting the poor thing off the ground a little.

Once the spears where removed I picked it up and carried it back to my den. His eyes were open and the sight of it was unsettling as his limp tail swung lightly as I walked and I wondered if it was even good to eat raccoon. I had never had it before and I knew they were hunted for their furs but was the meat any good? Well I was going to find out. I refused to waste anything of this creature especially since I had done it entirely on accident.

Reaching my home I sat the body inside and returned for my spears. I made sure to clean them in the stream on my way back. Once back with all of my things I noticed the sun would be setting soon so I hunted for some more fire wood. Going inside I noticed that my fish was done cooking and looked a little overcooked but I ate it anyway. 

It tasted pretty good the last couple of fish tasted a little off but I was glad to have eaten them all the same. Thinking about fish I wished I had some salmon sauteed in garlic and butter. I thought about all the food I wanted to eat as I ate about half of the catfish. I sat it aside as I turned to the raccoon and decided what exactly I would do with it. Well if I was going to eat it I needed to skin it first.

Pulling out my Swiss army knife while sitting next to the dead raccoon I realized I had no idea where to start. Forcing myself to think I realized I should just give it a try and see where that lead me. I lifted up one of its legs and pushed the knife into its chest it didn't go very deep so I used more force as I reached its stomach and both felt and watched the knife go into under the skin and hit the meat. It was tricky and it took a few tries but I was able to get the knife between the skin and the meat. 

I tried to pull the skin off but it was a little stuck to the flesh so I used the knife to work it off. After accidentally cutting into the meat a few times I was able get a decent rhythm as I my slips grew fewer and far between. Before I knew it I had one whole side done along with the legs that where harder to do but I was quickly working on the back. Laying it back down I worked from where I started and went to meet the finished half in the middle of its back. 

When the last bit of skin left flesh I felt elated. There was still the head and tail but mostly it was bare. Knowing that I needed to gut it I split it down the middle and watched the guts poor out on its skin. I reached in and pulled out what was left before I began peeling off chunks of meat. Jerky was always one of my favorite treats and I remember reading somewhere that the Native Americans used smoke to dry out the meat.

Looking around I grabbed three sticks two long ones that had a part that split into two and I stuck them into the soft dirt next to the fire and placed the third stick in the y's, while it was crocked it would have to do. I began laying out strips of meat on the stick and therefore getting full whiffs of the smoke once I had lined the whole stick I still had over half the raccoon left.

I wished I had more sticks or a pot to boil the food in. It wasn't quite dark yet so I went out to search for more sticks and maybe some stones to cook on. Walking around I found some more sticks I could use to smoke some more meat. I found another flat rock and one that had a little dip into it that I might be able to use as a kind of bowl. I also checked the pool and found that the guts where missing but there was no sign of a fish, it must have ate and run. I made a quick trip to the stream to fill the almost bowl and returned to my den just as it started to get really dark and a few stars could be seen. 

I put up more sticks over the fire and started putting more meat on and once that one was full I had almost the entire raccoon done. Except for the head there was still some left on the flanks and I wasn't sure what to do with the guts or skin they smelled gross but I could tolerate it. Sitting down I ate more of the catfish eating till I couldn't eat anymore. I was able to finish it and kept the bones and guts aside for later.

Feeling fat and contented I wondered if there was anyone looking for me. I couldn't even remember how I got here or even where my family was. I can sort of remember driving in the snow but that's only thing that I seem to be able to remember. The thoughts of what got me here filled me with uncertainty and despair at the idea that I might not ever find my way out and that no one is looking for me. Hell there wasn't even a sign of how I got here when I woke up. I mean how would I find myself in the forest, in the middle of summer, wearing winter clothes how weird is that.

Not liking where my thoughts were leading me I wondered how I would make the bow. I had plenty of wood to make the arch part but I had nothing to make the string. I have my shoe laces but they aren't very long and I would be falling out of my boots. I pulled out my violin to play and began doing the first song that popped into my head which happened to be Mountain Dew the lyrics running through my head. 

Playing cleared my mind quickly and once I got about two minutes into the piece I stopped not able to remember it quite right, I've become rusty. 

Let's see here,

Let grasses grow and waters flow in free and easy way,  
But give me enough of the finer stuff that's made near Galway Bay,  
And policemen all from Donegal….Sligo… and Leitrim too,

Uh for some reason a song that we used to sing all the time is hard to remember.

Violin strings are made from guts if I remember the intestines in fact. If they are used to make a tight string on a violin why couldn't they be used for a bow string. Struck at this insight I decided that the instant I got up in the morning I would begin working on the bow string. Excited for tomorrow but also quite tired I put some old heavy logs into the fire and went to sleep with songs running through my head.


	3. Bows and Arrows

Waking up I felt really good even with the stiffness in my bones. I think I'm getting used to sleeping on the ground. Sitting up the fire had some embers that a little blowing and some sticks had burning cheerfully. Sitting up I remembered how I wanted to use the guts of the raccoon to make my bowstring.

Pulling the intestine out of the pile of guts I had no idea where to begin. Trying to keep a clear mind I began making a game plan for what to do. Well the first thing I should probably do is clean it and I'm not sure whether that would be good enough or if I should dry it out first.

I know it will shrink so I should probably put it on while its still wet so I should get to work on the wooden part of the bow as quickly as possible. Now that I had some form of a plan I left my den with the guts, bowl, and a spear in hand. I drank the water from last night so I should refill it since I'll be working on the bow all day.

At the stream I first went to the pool and seeing that nothing was there I put the guts in and began cleaning the intestine I first scrubbed the outer layer with my fingers and noticed that there was stuff inside and that it was stretchy. Squeezing out whatever was in it I tried to open it enough to get water inside so I could clean it out but it was difficult.

When that didn't seem to work I began pulling at one end to turn it inside out, it was surprisingly easy once it was inside out I washed that side and set it on my spear as I went upstream to fill my bowl before returning to my den. When I got back I noticed that the meat I laid out was drying nicely which made me smile and cut off the last bit of meat left on the raccoon.

Now that it was stripped down I wasn't sure what to do with it; I know the marrow in the bones is really good for you so I broke off a few of the legs and broke the thin bones in two before placing it and the meat in the bowl and sat it on the cooking stone above the fire.

I put a few more sticks in so the fire was high enough to lick the bottom of the slab. Now that I had something to eat I wasn't really sure what to do with the head. It was unsettling and I knew I didn't want it here so I cut it off and took it outside. I felt like it needed some form of burial so I dug a little hole next to my den and buried it before using the facilities and going to my den to begin working on my bow.

The first thing I did was peel off the bark off of one of the flexible branches. It wasn't too difficult with the help of my knife but I could feel that it was getting a little dull I would need for sharpen it if I wanted to do some carving. I had no idea what to look for so I went to the stream where there was a lot of rocks and grabbed an armful to carry back. 

When I set them down I began rubbing the knife's blade against the first stone I picked up like I has seen chefs do on TV. After about a minute and feeling the blade for no real difference I tossed it out and tried another one. By the eighth rock I was starting to get frustrated since none of them seemed to work, I picked up a small rounded gray rock and gave that one a try after a few swipes I was able to feel a slight difference in the sharpness of my knife, glad to have found something useful I put the rest of the rocks outside and spent a few minutes sharpening my knife.

Satisfied that it was sharp enough I grabbed the stripped branch and thought about how to carve it. Bows are thin and have a curve along with being wider in the middle before thinning out. I didn't know how big to make it this branch was about a head shorter than me.

Starting at one end of the branch I began whittling the wood down to a flat surface as I worked my way down the branch. Going slowly so I could go as thoroughly as possible I had the branch down to a bow like shape a little before dark. By then I needed to stoke the fire and took a look at my handiwork.

It was roughly how I imagined a bow it wasn't perfectly smooth but I could smooth it out later and I was able to put a slight curve into it. Now it reached the middle of my chest and I wondered how I would string it; I probably needed a hole to put the string into. Quickly I put wholes on either end of the bow before testing its flexibility. It felt a little wet like it should dry out first before using it. I sat it aside and poked at my raccoon stew, it was cooking slowly since the fire had to go through stone which doesn't conduct heat as well as metal.

Now that I was finished with the bow I went to check on my fish pool to not find anything I worried that I might have done the bow wrong and would not only waste the intestine on it but have to go hungry for a few days to make a new one. Since I wasn't the least bit tired I decided to try and make another one that was shaped a little differently, this branch was from the same tree but taller than me and I tried to put more curve into the bow. 

This one went much faster thanks to my earlier practice. I'm not sure how long it took me to make the much larger more curved bow but it felt late. I had stopped to eat my stew in the middle of making the bow and noticed the marrow had given the stew a slight gelatinous consistency, it was weird but I still enjoyed it. 

Once I was done with the bow it was almost as tall as me and I wondered if I should test them before using the intestines to make sure they would work properly. The second bow definitely looked better and felt right; I can't properly describe it but it felt more like a bow should than the first one. I would still test it and considered using one of my shoe laces as a test string. 

It should be long enough but my hiking boots need a lot of string so I can't go without if for long. Feeling sleepy I thought about taking my bowl out to the stream to clean it but feared what may be lurking in the dark so I let the flames lick the inside of the bowl before I laid down to sleep deciding not to put any logs on the fire with how hot it is.

Suddenly I was awake not sure what woke me. I saw that my fire was out and that everything looked undisturbed till I really listened and noticed that it was utterly silent. There wasn't even the slightest sound of a breeze or the scurrying of animals as if the forest had frozen itself in time. Staying as quiet as possible the hairs on the back of my neck stood up as the silence seemed to consume everything including me.

I stayed perfectly still as I felt that something was wrong and waited for something to happen. I'm not sure how long I laid there frozen in place I knew I stayed that way long after the forest started to breath again afraid that the silence would return. Eventually I fell into a fitful sleep filled with nightmares .

When I woke up I felt exhausted and I wanted to go right back to sleep but it was well after sunrise and I needed to see if there was any sign of what happened last night. Making sure to grab my bows and one of my spears after restarting the fire to finish drying the meat I went outside of my den and noticed much like last time there was no sign of disturbance. 

I know something happened and I refused to shake it off as I went closer to the river so I could lay my bows out in the sun to dry as I returned I looked for my bowl and found it missing. Remembering exactly where I left it and it wasn't there I searched all around my campsite and not seeing it I went to the stream and wondered if whatever it was took it. 

While at the stream I took several long drinks while just gazing into the forest and noticed something familiar sitting in the brush. Walking across the stream towards it I found my bowl in the brush and wondered why it was left here. I noticed the distinct smell of food still lingering on it and was filled with the realization that whatever it was had been drawn to the scent of my food and I was so thankful for leaving it outside afraid of attracting bears and had instead attracted something much worse.

Now knowing that if I wanted to avoid it I would need to keep my space as clean as possible. The idea of something visiting me in the night had my skin crawling as I scrubbed the bowl has hard as I could wanting to remove all signs of not only my food but of the thing. Once I had calmed down I went to the pool and found no signs of fish and decided to try fishing in the shallow area I found before. The shallows had gotten a little beach meaning there hasn't been rain in a while so the river is going down.

Which was good for me since the shallows had more fish than last time. I was able to get two good sized fish one a catfish and the other reminded me of a carp after about twenty tries that took around two hours.

Going back to my den I made sure to fill my bowl and once there I set the two fish on the slab after stoking the fire and went to check on my bows. They still didn't feel quite right and as I picked them up I realized I didn't have a single arrow yet. How was I suppose to shoot a bow without arrows I felt so stupid as I hurried back and gathered more wood.

Searching through all the wood I had gathered over the past few days I decided to try using the more stiffer wood, I think the arrows should be stiffer so they stay on course it made sense and I once again began peeling off wood but now till they were as straight as possible and were about the thickness of one of my fingers. 

I didn't have any arrow heads or feathers so I sharpened one of the ends like I did with my spears and let the harden in the fire. Unsure of how many I would need I made ten and hoped that would be a good start. By the time I was done the fish had finished cooking and I ate quickly as the sun rolled across the sky getting closer and closer to dark. I spent a good amount of time cleaning up the inside of my den mostly flattening out the dirt and shaking out my unused sweater and coat before going back to the stream to clean the slab and bowl thoroughly. 

By the time it got dark I felt that I was safe from attracting anything especially since the meat had fully dried and now sat on the slab near one of the walls. Feeling more safe I pulled out my violin and began to play. For some reason Les Miserables came to mind and I played a little bit of the tone from Castle on a Cloud while humming the song to myself. I wondered when I would see the play next. Hopefully I won't be stuck out here too long.

The idea of being dependent on my memory to play made me unhappy since playing my violin is one of the only things keeping me sane. I refused to allow these thoughts to drift to darker places as I focused on my playing allowing the sadness of someone else to distract me from my own predicament.

Feeling sleepy I stopped playing and moved my arrows from the fire as I fell to sleep not long after dark. I was afraid of not being found, afraid that people have forgotten me. The image of my grandfather came to mind as I fingered my knife wondering where he was right now.

Morning came quickly yet I felt much more refreshed than the previous night. Going about a morning routine of going to the bathroom before cleaning out my den I went to the fish pool and dropped off the guts and getting a drink before checking on my bows.

They felt much firmer and I decided to give them a try. I went to a slight clearing on the other side of the stream near the bush I found the raccoon in. pulling off one of my hiking boots to use my shoe string to string the bow. It was much harder than it looks it takes some strength to force the bow into shape. 

I started with my first one that was slightly smaller and less curved, with an arrow in one hand I put it on the string and pulled back. The bow refused to pull back as far as I felt that it should and when it released the arrow didn't go very far. Examining the bow I tested the pull and noticed a lot of strain in the middle, I knew I made it too thick. 

Taking my shoe lace off that bow I proceeded to the other one that was longer. If I thought the first one was difficult to string this one felt practically impossible. It took me forever to string it and once I did my arms felt exhausted. However I noticed that the string felt much tighter than the last one.

With the arrow in what felt like the proper place I pulled on the string with all my might, it took a lot of energy to get it level with my face and when I released the arrow it smacked me in the arm. Screaming I dropped the bow and saw a distinct red mark beginning to appear on my forearm. Taking a different stance this time I tried again and once I had the bow pulled far enough away I released and it flew into a bush so quickly I almost missed it.

Happy at making a successful bow I went and searched for my arrows the first one I shot was in eyesight but the second one had skidded off and took a bit to find. Now that I had a bow that would work I should string it properly. I went back to my den and retrieved the raccoon intestine that had begun to dry a little but was still very stretchy I went back to the clearing so I could practice and began stringing the bow. 

With the stretchiness of the intestine it should have made it easier but it was too thick and wide making it difficult to string the bow. It will definitely work for a string but its too thick and wide so it needs to thin down some so maybe I should cut the intestine down more. Not wanting to mess up I first sliced it in half and then cut one strip in half again. It felt much better and since it hadn't fully dried yet it should become more of a string and fit to the bow better.

Satisfied with my work I set the bow out to dry the string before returning the failed bow to the den knowing I could probably use it for something else before going to the pool. Today I was lucky and there was a fish in the pool, I blocked off its exit and went to the shallows to catch what I could there.

The river was still down a bit and I was able to catch a large catfish and a smaller carp. The carp I had caught its fin and trapped it so I reached down and pulled it out of the river to gently toss it onto land and as it flopped about I remembered the other fish still alive in the pool and I wondered if I could store them there temporarily as a steady food source. 

Liking this idea a lot I carried the carp as quickly as possible to the pool and placed it with the other fish before returning to fish some more. I got another smaller catfish before deciding to head back and eat grabbing some water in my bowl on my way. 

Stoking the fire so it touched the fish I wanted to eat as quickly as possible. I needed to clean up before it got dark, the idea of the creature still fresh in my mind. Finished eating and cleaning up I went to my den at sunset and played again before falling asleep.

The next day I did my routine of cleaning and feeding the fish before checking on my bow and I noticed that the string had dried nicely and should be good to practice with. Happy to give it a try I began aiming for a tree about ten yards away.

Pulling the string back was a strain and the arrow went far to the right and took me a bit to find. I spent most of the morning practicing till I hit the tree consistently. My arms felt tired but I was growing tired of fish and needed to eat something with more fat. Not sure where to look I wandered on the opposite side of the stream keeping my eyes and ears peeled for anything to eat.

Not sure how far out I was I saw a rabbit lazily eating at a bush having not seen me yet. Crouching down I tried to sneak up on it but it heard me and ran off. It seemed that this area had a good amount of rabbits and I quickly learned that their ears are very good and the less sound I make the easier it is to move closer.

Finally I was close to a rabbit where I felt like I had a clear shot and pulled on the string of my bow and after waiting a moment released to only miss and bounce off of a tree splitting the arrow. That day I didn't get anything but I learned a lot about hunting rabbits and felt ready for tomorrow. I could have eaten the fish from the pool but decided to save them since I have no idea how long it will take me to get the hang of this.

I didn't get my first rabbit till late the next day, I had been forcing myself to remain calm as frustration filled me since I hadn't eaten and was determined to get something. The rabbit I got was just sitting about smelling the air and scratching at its large ears. Once the arrow had struck it in the neck it fell over and the elation at having finally got something ended quickly as I saw the creature die as it bleed out on the dirt having just been minding its own business.

I felt terrible for it but I needed to eat something and my stomach thanked me as I picked the meat off and broke the bones to make a stew in my small stone bowl. The rabbit stew tasted delicious and I couldn't get enough of it, that night the idea of playing some Voltaire came to mind so I played a simple song and I enjoyed it especially after having my first successful hunt before falling asleep.


	4. Roomies

With the bow working and my skills growing hunting became less and less of a problem as my collection of rabbit furs grew and I even became decent at getting the occasional bird. Birds were much harder since they spent a lot of time in trees and I mostly wanted them for their feathers so I could make better arrows. 

Soon I began figuring out how to make arrow heads as I noticed the winds changing. By chipping at the flint I had collected I was able to get them down to sharp points that I used to tip my arrows and a few spears Once I found enough flint and got enough birds I soon had over thirty arrows ready and I usually carried about twelve on a quiver I made out of rabbit hide. 

I've been here for a few months now and since the first week I haven't seen or heard any sign of the creature of silence and felt safe enough to occasionally leave my den at night to get water or go to the bathroom but I didn't dare wander far form my safe haven. Still feeling wary of the dark I avoided going out and made sure to clean up all signs of me cooking to avoid attracting anything. I was still worried it might come back and find me.

I began to feel the weather change as I started to travel more during the day and had found several new rocks that I began using for cooking or as plates. Firewood became a constant chore since the smoke kept the bugs away. The bugs grew thinner and thinner as I noticed the winds and rain grow colder as the forest began to prepare for winter. 

As it prepared so did I, since I was practically living in a mountain I began filling the areas in between the logs with mud to seal it up but leaving a hole about the length of two of my fists for smoke to escape. I also removed the end of one side to make an actual door instead of a log. It wasn't quite a door it was a bunch of sticks I weaved together with dried leaves to insulate it and mud to seal it up and I would push it to the side every morning. 

Now it was large enough that about two of me could walk through it. However I still didn't feel secure enough for winter so I began hunting the low river bed for large rocks that I began to make a second outer wall out of; filling the area in between the walls with leaves to keep the place insulated and once again made sure to leave a hole for my smoke to leave and by the time snow started to fall I was as snug as a bug in my insulated shelter with my rabbit fur bed.

By this point I began to hunt larger animals. Deer weren't as common as I'd thought they'd be. Since they were much larger than rabbits they had a lot more meat but it went bad quickly so I started drying out meat almost constantly so I wouldn't waste anything. I began hunting them as much as I could usually drying the meat and storing it in a kind of ice box I dug. Once I had dug the hole I used several slabs of stone to hold back the dirt. Winter made it easy to keep the meat last longer. 

My stone arrowheads and strong bow made hunting easier and my fur pile began to grow as the seasons changed. I quickly realized I was going to need warmer clothing. I had my sweater and coat but I have no idea how cold it could get here and as the snow began to fall I became obsessed with making warm clothing. This turned out to be one of my hardest projects since the skins dried out quickly and became tough. I began stretching them on stick rack and working the leather with a pointy but not sharp rock.

There is no way to describe how hard this was it would take me hours to get it soft enough to move, it became a habit where as soon as I skinned something I would hang it up and start working as it dried. It definitely made it easier to soften. As it grew colder I had a deer skin cloak that was very heavy but extremely warm with my wool coat and sweater. I had also made a pair of crudely done rabbit skin mittens and moccasins that I wore inside my den since my boots after several months were finally starting to show some wear and tear. 

The cloak was the easiest to make when it came to sewing. I cut strips out of a hide to use as a thick thread and my Swiss arm knife had a reamer which made sewing up my cloths easier. As the days grew colder I was thankful for my preparations and was staying warm even through the freezing rain that lasted for several days straight.

Every night I made sure to play even as I realized that people had probably stopped looking for me. But I continued to play, it kept me calm when things grew dark and helped me feel a connection with my past. I was growing to embrace my place in the forest. 

Winter became the best season for me, since it was cold it made storing food easier and I soon spent more of my time wandering outside instead of just around my camp. The forest was absolutely beautiful in the winter. The ice would coat some of the trees and they would glisten in the morning light as the river would flow with its giant chunks of ice heading down stream. It was especially beautiful after it snowed and everything looked pristine the next day. 

Since I hadn't seen or heard anything from the creature I began to feel safe and that I was still somewhere where I could be found. Though I began to grow comfortable with not being found I still felt like I was somewhere people had been before. Except for the strange creature it seemed like any other temperate forest.

This all changed within one moment. I was out hunting deer even though I had a good amount of dried meat at home. I wanted to get more fresh meat so I went to hunt on the other side of the stream that was where I could find a lot of animals roaming about.

Not far from the stream walking through the snow that thankfully didn't get very high but it was very cold though the trees blocked most of the wind. I could feel the hairs on my face cling together when the wind would pick up and go directly into the hood of my cloak. With my full winter gear, a full quiver and an arrow at the ready I was prepared for what I thought was anything but I was not prepared for what I saw. 

I entered a small clearing that usually held a rabbit or two and I had noticed that there were fewer tracks but didn't think much of this warning till I saw it. There is no way to describe it other than the largest wolf I had ever seen in real life or on television, it didn't even look real thats how big it was.

He looked like I could hop on his back and ride him, his paws were probably the size of my face and he looked mean as hell. While I have been living here for almost six months I have yet to see a wolf. I've found their tracks along with other predators but I haven't seen a single print to suggest that they got this big and I hadn't even seen a regular sized wolf before. It was definitely awe inspiring to see such a large and powerful creature.

Kneeling behind some brush I noticed that it was laying down with large gashes covering its side. Blood stained the clean white snow as he laid exhausted on the ground. I wondered how he got them, they didn't look like claw marks. They were more random looking like someone had been hacking at him with a blade.

Not wanting to get his attention I tried to back away to give him some space when the wind changed and his head swiveled to my direction and a deep resonating growl filled the air. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up at the primal threat and I tried to not let my fear to grow so I wouldn't bolt and cause the creature to give chase. 

When his growl died down he continued to show his teeth as he made noises that I can only describe as if he was talking. Confused at the strangely structured noises he made I lost my fear and did something very stupid. 

I stood up from my crouched position and called out, “What?” to him. 

Now seeing me bow in hand his growl came back more fierce. Gripping my bow and arrow harder I scoffed at my stupid mistake as I saw him bristle up as if ready to pounce should I approach.

I have no idea how long we stood like that, his growl had died but his ears were still back and his teeth were bare but I needed to get moving. I couldn't stay trapped in a staring contest with a wolf all day. Making the first move I took a step to the side not closer or farther away just slightly to the side. At my movement his growl came back and I waited till it died down and moved again. By my third step he had stopped growling but kept his eyes locked on me as I moved around him.

I then backed away till I felt safe with the amount of distance between us and continued on my hunt. Thoughts of the wolf plagued me as I was hunting. What was it doing here? Where did it come from? What happened to him? It all filled my head as I shot a doe in the neck killing her in minutes. 

Since deer weighed more I tended to skin them where I got them and used there skin that would freeze quickly as a sled for the body. With the months I've lived here my arms grew stronger I could now shoot my bow without hurting my arms and the sleds felt lighter and lighter with each hunt.

On my way back I thought of how to pass the wolf. I could go to the edge of the cliff and avoid it entirely though the sled would be harder to move in the denser area, or I could continue on my path and just keep a safe distance. I had observed what trail there was of the wolf it seemed he had crawled upstream from farther than I traveled with the occasional splatter of blood on the snow covered ground.

His wounds must be healing if he's not bleeding so badly. I approached where he was I stiffened as I heard his growl even though I couldn't see him and he couldn't see me. I looked down at my kill and without even thinking I hacked off one of her back legs and approached his clearing. He was where I left him still as menacing as before. I approached slowly not wanting to give him a reason to attack. When I reached the edge of the brush I tossed the leg in his direction.

It landed a few feet away and he looked away to smell at the meat before he gave another growl and crawled over to it and began tearing off chunks of the freezing meat as if he hadn't eaten in days. Returning to my sled slowly I decided to give him more and cut off the other back leg and when I tossed it to him he gave similar guttural noises from before that reminded me of speech. 

Going back to my sled I continued home wondering about the strange wolf. I hadn't seen a single sign of wolves of that size being around before. The strangest thing I've seen was the creature from the first few nights and I hadn't seen since. The way home was uneventful and I cut up the doe outside and left most of it under a pile of snow I used to hide my meat from scavengers.

Cutting off a decent chunk of meat I began cooking it on the slab wanting steak tonight. The wolf wouldn't leave my thoughts and I couldn't help but wonder if he would be there tomorrow. That night I played my violin as usual before I laid down to sleep to only be disturbed by a loud heavy thumping resonating through my wall. 

Frightened I grabbed one of the spears I had put an arrow head on and kicked open the door. The sight of the wounded wolf leaning pitifully against my wall was something I hadn't expected to see. He 'spoke' again this concept continued to confuse me and I stayed standing with my spear at the ready for an attack.

But he wasn't in a stance for attack he looked weak and tired and as he spoke again I understood him without knowing a single word of what he said. He needed a safe place to stay, with how wounded he was he would attract a lot of attention from predators and who knows what else. I had showed him a little kindness so I was his only option.

Lowering my spear I pulled open the door and let him inside. His wide shoulders barely fit through the door as he seemed to fill the space. He curled up in the back of the shelter fitting snugly into the rock he gave a deep sigh as he laid down his eyes still trained on me as he took a quick sniff at the food I kept inside.

Unsure of how to proceed I pulled my fur and coat bed away from him to give him his space and turned towards him to keep an eye on him. If he wanted to he could kill me right now but he needed my help right now and the idea of having some company felt like it was worth the risk. 

I hadn't come into contact with a creature I could talk to so the idea of having something around to keep away loneliness was a very pleasant one. Even if he could kill me at any moment. I fell asleep with him watching my lazily and when I awoke in the morning I had first thought that the whole thing was a dream till I turned and saw his sleeping huge form in the dark of my unlit den.

Rolling over and getting out of bed his ears pivoted to my direction before he opened his eyes and glanced in my direction. Opening my door I went about my usual chores of cleaning up the den, going to the bathroom and collecting wood. Since I've spent so much time here I've been needing to go farther to get wood having picked the areas around camp clean.

When I returned with my arms full of woodhe was sitting up and watching me with his dark eyes. I went outside grabbed one of the legs from the buck I had killed a while ago and tossed it towards him. 

He ate more relaxed this time still keeping his eyes on me not entirely trusting me. Looking at my supply of meat with him here I'll need to hunt deer more often and thought I might as well go now. He shouldn't get himself into to much trouble here by himself. I had gotten up after sunrise and by the time my chores where done it was still morning so I headed off to get another deer.

When I came back with a large buck it was a little afternoon and as I went by the stream I saw the wolf breaking the ice at the edge of the river to drink deeply. Observing him as he drank his wounds look painful and if he would allow me I would try to clean them later, he turned and watched me as I passed. 

After I put the skin inside to stretch and thaw out I cut up the deer bringing the antlers inside before stoking the fire and putting some meat and snow into my bowl to begin cooking. I sat the head outside and saw the wolf returning. He moved slowly, it seemed his whole left side hurt him and he avoided walking on his front paw that held the most amount of damage. He was trying to walk instead of crawl, it looked painful but he held his head up grimacing at the effort.

Seeing what I was doing he picked up the head of the buck and brought it inside with him. He held it in his mouth easily, it looked as though he could bite cleanly through me with his strong jaws. Once inside he laid back down and began eating the slightly frozen meat. I had seen him eat before and it didn't gross me out though it was disconcerting to watch him crush its skull with his good paw to get at the brains inside. While my food cooked I grabbed another bowl like stone that was more awkward due to its size and filled it up at the river before carrying it back home.

By then he had finished eating and the bones where scattered around him making quite a mess. Annoyed I set down the awkward stone bowl and began picking up the bones lying about. He watched me as I went about cleaning up after him. I buried the bones outside closer to the river and returned to start softening up the thawing deer hide.

If I started not long after skinning the animal it would soften up faster and he watched me as I worked seemingly amused at my efforts. When my arms grew to tired I stopped to eat my food and looked him over accessing his wounds. They looked filthy from him dragging himself along the forest floor. Even with the snow he looked like he had went through some mud that caked the fur on his stomach. 

Done eating I set the huge bowl of water into the fire to boil, it wasn't exceptionally large, it dipped in slightly so it was less like a bowl and more like a saucer but it held more water than anything else I had access to but was quite heavy since it was stone so I avoided using it if I didn't have too. But cleaning out his wounds would be quite an undertaking so I needed a lot of water.

Noticing I was watching him I tested the water and it was starting to warm up so I put a little more wood on the fire before grabbing one of my softened rabbit skins and soaking it in the warming water. I scooted closer to him in the enclosed space. Seeing that I was approaching him he put his ears back but didn't bare his teeth watching me carefully. I crept closer to him keeping a slow and steady pace so I wouldn't startle him. Due to the small space I reached him quickly and I felt him tense as I placed the soaked skin on his open wound. He growled and I removed it from him but didn't back away. His eyes held a threat as his huge head turned towards me.

Being this close to him I couldn't help but notice the smell of him. It reminded me of the smell of zoos and getting a good look at him since his face was only a foot away he looked much older than I thought. His fur was a dark brown which blended into black in some areas but his face had a lot of white around his mouth and eyes and with his wide cheekbones it gave him a distinguished look. 

When his growl died down I placed it on him again and he watched me wary of what I was doing. Moving slowly I began cleaning out his wounds he twitched and gave a pained groan but didn't give me any reason to stop. The wounds were filthy and I had to dip the cloth in the warming water every few swipes. They were crusted over with mud and old blood.

By the time I finished cleaning the wounds on his side the bowl of water was a deep brownish red. I went out and poured it out near the river before cleaning it and the rabbit skin. The skin was stained with blood but the bowl cleaned easily enough and I refilled it to go back to work. Placing the cleaned bowl back on the fire along with more wood I laid out the rabbit skin to dry. I grabbed another one to clean out the wounds left on his front paw, they were by far the worst looking.

It was covered in mud that looked disgusting with the blood mixed into the layer covering it. He seemed much more comfortable with my presence now that he realized I am tending to his wounds. I attempted to chip away at the layer of mud on his paws and he gave an annoyed grunt before he began to speak to me. His voice was weird and its extremely strange to watch a creature I thought incapable of talking speak. He didn't say much and it seemed more like a random words than anything else. I watched him for a moment to see if he had anything else to say but he just stared at me so I went about cleaning of the layers of dirt caking the deep wounds on his paw.

First I gently chipped away at the mud. It was stuck to his fur and skin so I had cut off chunks of his fur to get it off. He growled when I took out my knife but relaxed when I began cutting off his fur to get to his wounds. When the rest of his arm was cleaned and mostly hairless I began soaking the rabbit skin in the warm water and using it to get the mud on the wound wet so it would come off easier. This was definitely the hardest part, it took a lot of time to get all the mud out since I had to get it wet. 

The wolf didn't like it one bit. I could see him flinching as I got the mud out of the deep gash across his paw. Once the caked mud was out it went much easier. It wasn't very wide but it was deep I could feel the coagulated blood trying to close up the wound. He sighed in relief when I was done. The bowl looked more like mud this time than a bloody mess. I cleaned it out again and filled it up so he could have something to drink. 

I hung up the rabbit skin next to the other one to dry before I pulled out my violin and began to play. This really got his attention, he seemed utterly fascinated at the noises I was making he sniffed at me curiously. His breath smelled terrible and he must have seen it on my face cause he stopped sniffing. He gave me a little push with his paw when I stopped and he did it a few more times till I got the hint and started playing again. I played for a while till I grew tired and he seemed disappointed that I stopped but when I laid down he got the hint and rolled over to also fall asleep. With him there I felt oddly safe as I drifted off to sleep.


	5. Midnight Battle

When I woke up he was still sleeping. His breathing was deep and relaxed. Every breath pulled all the air into his lungs my hair even moved as he breathed in. His wounds looked much better now that they were clean, he turned to watch me get up his eyes droopy from sleep.

Yawning his mouth seeming unnaturally huge as he stretched before going outside. I went about my chores cleaning up inside and went to get some firewood. I noticed him peeing on the trees marking his territory. Coming back from the toilet his face was buried in my meat supply. Snow was on his face making him look less menacing and kinda cute. That is till he ripped off a leg and slunk off to eat.

He limped more today instead of crawling which was definitely a good sign. His trail was still easy to see and I wondered if I should go hunting or work on loosening up the deer skin I had stretching. Looking at my supply of meat I had six legs left and the body of a doe and large buck left. Even with my new roommate I would have plenty of food at least for today. And I felt a little weak from carrying so much meat within just a few days. Making sure to fill my bowls with water I cut off a good chunk of meat off the oldest leg left from a buck and put it in my bowl and decided to spend my day working on the skins.

While using the stone on the deer skins I could hear the wolf return. He poked his head in and gave a huff at seeing what I was doing before shaking his head and going back outside. I didn't hear him leave so he must have stayed close by. When my hands grew tired I grabbed my cloak and decided to check on the wolf. He was laying out in the sun seemingly unbothered by the extreme cold. His back was too me and he seemed content to just lay there.

His huge head came up to glance at me as I approached. Seeing me he slumped back down, his large chest rising with each breath. Going to stand in front of him I was still amazed at just his size and that he allowed me to be so close to him. Laying on his side so he was putting all his weight on his uninjured side. He watched me as I went to sit down on a rock near him. His stare became uncomfortable since he looked at me like he was expecting me to do something I quickly grew tired of his look.

"WHAT?" He blinked before looking down at his paws and glancing back up.

"Make noise." At first I wasn't sure I heard him at all.

"What was that?" Leaning closer to him to make sure it was him.

"Make noise, like noise." His voice was just as gruff and difficult to understand. 

It was strange to watch his mouth make the vowels.

"You can talk?" Confused at him suddenly speaking a language I understood.

"Know little. Will make noise?" It was strange to watch him make the words as he forced his face to move in ways it wasn't made to.

"What noise?"

"Make noise at night, like noise." Make noise at night? Did he mean my playing?

I went and grabbed my violin and he perked up as I sat down with it. When I started to play he seemed to smile which was hard to tell with the way his face was structured. I played the first thing that came to mind which was an old drinking song. He seemed to enjoy the song especially since I started to sing along. I felt a little weird performing for a giant wolf. I believe I'm pretty good at the violin but I knew I wasn't good at singing especially while playing the violin but he seemed to appreciate it. When the song ended I stopped and he laid back down stretching out in the sun.

"So you could have talked to me this whole time and didn't?" Walking over to him so I was standing in front of his giant head the top of which reached just above my boots.

"Don't like talk, hard, know little what you say." He sighed seemingly bored with this conversation.

I tried to get him to talk more but he didn't respond tired of talking. Going back to my den I put my violin back in its case and went to eat my deer stew. I pulled off my cloak since the fire kept the den warm enough but I left the door open a bit in case he wanted back in. When I finished eating I went back to softening the skin. While my hands worked my mind wandered. Where in the world do wolves get that big and most especially talk.

I've only heard of wolves talking in fairytales and fantasy stories. Maybe I'm farther from civilization than I thought. I was never good at geography but I tried to think of where I could possibly be. Well the only place I can think of being uninhabited enough to hide large talking wolves is the forests of Canada but I'm pretty sure people have searched them and I have no idea if they have any mountains there. Also what about the creature that came around at night? I hadn't heard from it in a while but that doesn't mean its gone and I believe someone would have noticed that around. The more I thought about it the less it seemed likely I was anywhere and I grew angry tossing my stone and grabbing my cloak before stomping out of the den to walk it off.

He watched me storm off he didn't seem interested in what I was doing and went back to resting. Walking away my breath coming out like smoke. Angry at myself for not remembering how I got here and angry at my situation. Why am I lost in an unknown forest infested with fantastical creatures. I'm not sure how long I walked upstream but when I stopped I realized I was farther than I normally go. Turning around I walked back to my den feeling a little foolish for letting my anger make the best of me and by the time I reached home it was dark.

My door was wide open and the fire was out making the inside colder. The wolf was laying down his glowing eyes watching me walk back inside. Sighing I shut the door and started the fire back up, it didn't take long for it to warm up . I pulled off my winter gear and made my bed. Turning away from him I stared into the fire wondering about my future. If people haven't discovered animals like him how are they going to find me. Looking over at him his eyes also stared into the flame. He had noticeably moved farther into the back.

"Are you afraid of fire?" He glanced over at me.

"Not afraid don't like." His gruff voice seemed defensive though its hard to tell with how difficult it was to understand him.

Watching him it looked a little funny to see him squashing himself into such a small space. Crawling over to him I checked his wounds. They were still clean and there didn't seem to be any signs of infection. As I checked him one of my hands lazily began petting him. His fur wasn't soft by any means though it wasn't unpleasant, it reminded me of horses hair but rougher. Curious about him but not sure how to start asking questions.

"Are there...more of you?" He turned towards me and he had an almost thoughtful look on his face.

"Not here, to close to golugs. More near Mist Mountains more food there less danger." This was by far the most I heard him say before.

"What are golugs and what do you mean by the Mist Mountains?" I had never heard the first term before but the Mist Mountains seemed to ring a bell, they sounded familiar but it seemed off.

"Golugs white, like trees, hunt us when get close. Mist Mountains west here, from there spent time with Orcs, good then." Orcs? Okay where am I in a D&D campaign?

Confused by what he said it made me even more curious about him.

"If your from the Mist Mountains why are you here?" My question made him visibly uncomfortable as he shifted trying to avoid talking.

"... A battle crawled away not sure who survived." With how uncomfortable he was I decided to drop it not wanting to strain our budding relationship.

I liked his strange company and didn't want to push him away from asking to much so I ended the conversation there. Falling asleep as the fire died I wondered how long he would be staying. It was amazing how quickly he grew into my routine. Within the next few days his presence became less and less of a problem till it didn't seem weird anymore. 

I mean he is exceptionally large and very dangerous but we became fast friends. Mstly I have to thank my violin. Whenever I had spare time he would ask me to play. He seemed utterly fascinated by it. He asked me once how I learned such magic and he still doesn't believe me when I say its not magic. He refuses to talk about how he got here. I'm not sure whether he's trying to protect himself or me but I don't ask anymore though he does let some things slip about his past when I get him talking. I'm not sure how we got on the subject but he was in a very talkative mood for him and just kept going.

"Yeah, had cubs once with large female, strong took good care of them. Lived high in Mist Mountains had large pack many pups." He seemed to smile when his eyes seemed to gaze into the past.

"Where are they now?" I asked.

"Gone been on own long time." I kinda felt bad for asking seeing his eyes fall in sadness. It was getting easier to read his expressions and he seemed almost like an open book the more time I spent with him.

He didn't want to talk anymore so I played my violin to cheer him up. I was amazed at how quickly his wounds seemed to be healing. Within a couple of weeks he could put almost all of his weight on his wounded leg and they had closed up now showing as large fresh scars along his sides. Even his fur was growing back in.

With his wounds almost fully healed I got to see just how much energy he had; when I first found him he spent most of his time sleeping or just resting but as time went by he started to join me on my walks and I would have to shoo him away when I wanted to hunt. Since he came I've needed to hunt roughly every other day but I go out every day since I'm not always so lucky.

When I would come back from a hunt he would be off somewhere else wandering the forest. He left his trail visible behind him in case I wanted to follow. He was very punctual, he always makes sure to come back at nightfall to eat and listen to me play. By now I've gone through all the songs I've memorized and tend to either play tidbits I can remember or play a song that I've already played for him. He didn't seem to mind the repetition and still seemed so fascinated whenever I played.

With his wounds fully healed I wondered if he was going to leave. He said he was from the Mist Mountains and he would often gaze off with a distant look in his eyes. It made me wonder if he missed his home. Even though he could leave at any time he didn't say anything about going back and seemed quite comfortable here. One night I saw his eyes drift off somewhere else and decided to ask the question that's been hanging in the air for several weeks.

"Are you going to leave?" Hearing me speak he turned towards me no longer somewhere else.

"Not know. Want home but like here, quieter." Even through his broken speak I could hear the indecision in his voice.

Feeling satisfied with his answer I didn't ask anymore questions and went straight to bed. The weeks turned into months and the frozen forest began to wake up as it grew warmer. I hated the time between winter and spring. Everything was mud. To warm to wear my thick cloths but to cold to not wear anything.

Every day I went hunting the wolf would insist that I at least let him come with me if not hunt by himself. I would tell him every time that I am completely capable of getting food and I would come to him if I needed help. If I couldn't I wouldn't have lived over four months by myself in the wild.

The mud made it both difficult and easy. It made tracking easier since the rain and mud trapped animals footprints. While it makes tracking easier it makes the actual hunting harder. I usual search for a deer and when I find one I try to sneak as close to it as possible, usually going through brush or behind trees. 

The mud makes sneaking difficult since the sucking sound is enough to attract attention. And when I get close enough to shoot my feet get sucked into the mud and if I need to move it takes several moments to get out of mud encasing me. With winter over storing meat has become harder. I start drying meat again so I don't waste anything and meat spoils quickly so we try to eat as much as possible after a hunt to avoid the meat spoiling or attracting unwanted attention. 

I've begun to think that the animals are getting smarter. In order to hunt I have been traveling farther away from my den sometimes not getting back till nightfall especially since the skin no longer freezes to become a sled to cart the meat away. I usually get wolf to help. I'm amazed at how strong he is. He just picks up a buck between his jaws and carries it back guts and all not bothered by the weight.

I felt safe in the forest even with what I saw in the summer. I was more in tune with what was happening. I can identify what time of day it is by birdsong and I can hear the difference between a rabbit and a squirrel hiding in the brush. The wolf spent much of his time off somewhere while I went off hunting. 

Crouching low to avoid being seen I stalked a large buck grazing on the grass surrounded by thick mud. I had traveled down the river heading towards a few patches where I had come across several deer before.

The mud had dried a little since it hadn't rained in a few days so it wasn't as bad as a few days before. Watching the buck I crept closer facing away from him. Animals seem to sense when their being watched so I've found it better to creep closer while looking away from them. Traveling slowly from one tree to another I grew closer to the buck trying to get as close as possible so I don't miss and scare it away or injure it so he runs off. 

I found a good spot behind a tree about twenty feet away from the buck. He had perked his heads a few times but I hadn't spooked him yet. Grabbing an arrow I pulled back aiming for the center of the buck. He continued to graze unaware of my presence. Waiting a few moments I released the arrow as it flew into the belly of the deer. He fell over, the arrow making the use of his front legs difficult. He began bleeding making the mud an ugly brownish red. I approached and shot him in the neck killing him and ending his suffering.

Looking up the sun was setting and I was almost half a days walk from the den. I called out to wolf asking for his help but he didn't appear. So I was on my own with carrying back all this meat. First I cut of the legs on one side and carried them back, they were heavy but thankfully all the hunting and general work I've been doing has helped with building my strength. 

When I reached my den it was dark and there was no sign of the wolf. I lit the fire and set the meat inside before shutting the door and going back for the rest. The moon was up and it was a cloudless night. So it wasn't as dark as it could be. Reaching the clearing where I had left the deer carcass it was gone. Looking around I could see where it had sat in the mud but it was gone. Feeling nervous I pulled out an arrow and strung it ready to pull and fire if need be. 

Calling for wolf hoping he had taken it but there was no sound. My skin crawled as I felt the silence in the air. Not even a cricket dare stir to attract what was lurking in the dark. Panic flooded my system as I turned in all directions trying to see where it could be. It felt as if it was getting closer without a single sound to assist me in my search. Suddenly holding back a gag as the scent of death swarmed the very air I breathed.

A great shadow seemed to cover me as the stench grew and I realized exactly where it was. I pulled back the string as I tried to slow the beating of my heart. Feeling as if the very air was crawling I acted pointing my bow up to see a monstrous sight that I didn't dare try to understand as I shot. The arrow hit it and it fell from the string it was dangling on. I jumped out of the way as it fell into the mud.

Getting off its back using its many legs I could see my arrow sticking out of its abdomen. I could barely register the site of it as my body seemed to move without me as I pulled another arrow as it stood. Missing it I began backing away and pulled another arrow. Unable to see it entirely I still knew that its eyes were locked on me. As I pulled the arrow back it seemed to move freakishly fast without making a single noise.

Releasing the arrow it hit it in the face. It made a strange shriek as it tried to shake it off. My arms groaned as I pulled out another arrow and shot it again hitting it in the head. Taking this hit seemed to anger it further as it rushed me. I jumped out of the way wishing I had brought one of my spears. Rolling away I could feel several arrows fall out of my quiver. Cursing I started to stand as I reached for an arrow. Feeling only one I set it on the string and searched the woods for any sign of it.

My blood was pounding in my ears as I spun around trying to find it. Looking up I couldn't see it lurking in the trees and I began to panic not able to see it. Suddenly it grew dark as a large cloud covered the moon shrouding the forest in darkness. Practically blind I pulled the string back listening for the slightest sound to indicate where it could be.

Unable to see it I turned around waiting for it to strike. I was consumed by terror. My hands shaking the bow as I tried to keep them steady. My breath seemed to be the only sound as death swam into my nostrils. Rushing around it stood on its back legs in an attempt to strike me down with the force of its body. I shot it hitting it in the bottom of the head. It released a loud unholy scream as it lost its balance and fell back.

Out of arrows I turned and ran hoping to get as much distance between me and it as possible. Running as quickly as I could. Not daring to look back I flew past trees feeling as if it was right on my heels. Staring straight ahead as I ran I felt something firm yet fuzzy grip my foot and pulled me down to the ground. I screamed as I fell knowing that this was the end. Its entire body filled my sight as the cloud moved out of the moon illuminating its many eyes as its mandibles grew closer and I realized I was going to die feeding a giant spider lost in a forest without having found out how I got here.

A growl filled the still air as the spider above me was pushed away covered in a brown mass. Wolf clawed his way onto its back avoiding the mandibles and stinger. I watched as his jaw latched onto the head crushing several eyes as it screamed and thrashed about trying to remove the giant wolf from its back. Losing his grip he fell off clawing it up on his way down.

Hitting the ground he rolled out of the way as it tried to sting him. He got up and struck at it with his claws catching one of its legs and pulled it down as it shrieked. I watched its leg being pulled away at its upper joint. The wolf growled the whole time pouncing back onto its back striking at its eyes before jumping off to attack its legs.

I'm not sure how long I sat there watching my giant wolf attack the monstrous spider pulling at its legs weakening it as he pounced on it. Forcing it farther down his weight making it harder for the spider to stand with its usable legs growing fewer. With his fourth strike the spider gave a high unreal shriek as it collapsed under the wolfs weight. He continued to maul its face for several moments before his growls died down and he walked towards me his form menacing in the moonlight.

His body seemed to shine as I realized his fur was coated with blood. My adrenaline pumping in my veins I suddenly feared that he would kill me next. Panic made me stand and he stopped several feet away his eyes dilated with the scent of the spiders blood filling the air.

"Calm not hurt, come, safe at den." His voice was deeper than normal as he turned and headed in what I realized was the way home.

He stopped after a few steps and looked back at my waiting for me to follow. Picking up my bow my fear dwindled with my heartbeat as I went to him and walked with him back to our den. Entering the warm space with meat waiting to be cooked and a cheerful fire yet I couldn't care less.

I wanted nothing more than to forget what had happened. Wolf entered after me his fur slick with the strange smelling blood. He grabbed one of the legs and began eating as the smell of blood filled the air. Hating the scent but craving the safety of the fire I curled up and fell asleep with my cloths still on. Too exhausted and shocked to do anything else.

Waking up feeling extremely stiff it took me several moments to remember what happened last night. My arms were sore. I was starving and my cloths and I reeked from sweat. Cutting off a slab of meat I set it on the cooking stone and started a fire before leaving. Ignoring my morning chores I headed straight for the river. Practically ripping off my cloths I entered the cold water and scrubbed as hard as I could still able to feel its strange hairy legs.

Stopping when I couldn't stop shaking I crawled out and scrubbed at my cloths before returning to my den. Wolf was gone when I awoke. I hung my cloths over a tree branch and put on my warmer cloths having nothing else to wear. Feeling hot I went about my chores feeling cleansed. Finishing them quickly I saw that I was now low on arrows groaning I sat down to eat as wolf came in. His fur was no longer sticky with blood and he smelled less musty, he must have taken a bath. He laid down next to me watching as I ate.

"What?" I asked his staring bothering me.

"Look wrong." His head cocked slightly.

"I'm fine its just hard to believe that last night actually happened." I continued to eat.

"Should see spider know dead helps." Turning towards him he seemed to know what he was talking about. I decided to see the remains of the giant spider once I finished eating.

Heading down river wolf came with me the walk seemed shorter than normal. The scene of the fight held less than what I remember. In the light its blood was staining the ground around its body and I found a few of my arrows but it didn't look nearly as destroyed as it seemed last night. The spider had curled up in on itself. Now that I was able to see it clearly it was extremely large. Its body about the size of wolf but with its leg span it was enormous.

It reminded me of a tarantula with its furry legs but its body looked very different and its blood seemed to coat it almost hiding its black color behind its stiffened blood. Wolf was right seeing that it was dead seemed to make it sink in and it did make me feel safer. Leaving its body for the scavengers I turned back and realized that there might be more of them and I had no idea what else could be lurking in the dark. If it wasn't for wolf I would be dead. I needed him, there is no way I could make it without him. So I would stick by him for as long as I can. Realizing he is probably the only thing standing between me and other creatures like that giant spider.

**Author's Note:**

> [I have a Tumblr if you want to see me go on about the weird stuff I write. Also if you want to talk to me about written porn in general.](https://malady335.tumblr.com/)


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